Liquid-level gauge



Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

aan @Lm 'wnsnm SPRINGER, or MINNEAPOLIS, mnnso'ra.

LIQUID-LEVEL GAUGE.

application mea maren 7, 191e. serial no. 281,233.

in Liquid-Level Gauges, of which the fol-l lowing is a specification. Y

My invention relates to gauges for fuel l@ or gasoline tanks as used on automobiles and has for vits objects to rovide a fluid operated device for indicatmg the amount `of gasoline in the gasoline tank in which the indicating member is remotely posi- 35 tioned from the tank proper. ln carrying out my invention l employ an expansible member containing a fluid with a. device adapted to vary the pressure of the luid in accordance with the height of the gasoline so in the tank and an indicating device remotely positioned from the tank and connected to the expansible member, said device being sensitive to differences in ressure of the fluid within the system cause by the expansible member.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the detailed description and are particularly pointed out in the claims. v

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Fig. 1 is a verticalsectional view of a portion of a gasoline tank showing my invention applied. thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the indicatingmechanism shown ,in Fig. se 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the expansible member shown in Fig. 1

drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a view` similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form'of the.

' invention.

of an automobile is shown 'wluch maybe gcylindrical, ellipsoidal or prismatic in cross `section as the case may be. For the particular form of the invention here shown the top w of the tank is cut away and *the opening formed, enclosed by a flange 11 provided with a lip 12, externally threaded at 13. A. bastin' 14. is formed with a lip 15, by means f o ffwhlch and a recessed nut 16 said casting vheld in place upon the ltank 10. i r

\ Within casting 14, which is made hollow, an lexpansible member 17 of ordinary construction is mounted which has a neck 18 In Fig.\1 a portion of a gasoline tank 10,

extending through ythe top ofl said casting. To this aieck is secured a metallic tube 19 which is connected at its other end to a pressure gauge 20, preferably of the Bourdon typeas is shown in Fig. 2 with the dial removed.` The gauge 20, expansible member 17 and the connecting tubing 19 are all filled with a liquid which will not freeze or boil under normal temperatures. One such liquid which may be readily used is kerosene though aI number of others form'equally good substitutes. The device for filling they system is constructed as follows :y The gauge 2O which is of usual construct-ion includes a Bourdon tube 21 which. has at its end a block 22 by means'of which vthe indicating mechanism 23 is operated. Into this block isscrewed a small screw 24 which Vwhen rel moved brin communicatmn with the atmosphere. On the underside of the eXpa-nsible member 17 as shown in Fig. '.3 is ysecureda block 2d which has passageways 26 and27 drilled init at rightv angles t0 each other as shown, 'with passageway 26 communicating with the interiorof the member.'l Hole 27 is also `tapped and provided with a pointed screw 28 by. means ofwhich passageway 26 may be .entirely closed. A thlrd hole 29 is drilled in block 2 5 to meet hole 27 so that when screw 28 yis partly out the interior of the expansible member is made to communicate with the atmosphere. The hole 29 is also tapped so that a pump not shown in the drawin s may be screwed into it by means of whic the liquid may be pumped into the the interior of tube 21 intosystem. The procedure for fillin is as `folv lowsiScrew 28 is unscrewed su ciently to uncoverhole 29 and screw 24 is completely removed. The liquid is then pum ed in thru hole 29, the ain-escaping thru t e end of tube 21'. When'the whole system is filled both screws are tightenedand the pump removed.

The pri ciple involved inthe o ration of the device is as follows: When t e block 25 is pressed upwards a pressure on the liquid witl'linthe expansible member 17 is exerted which causes the gauge 2O to register.` By

nio

means of a lioat and other operating mechanism now to be explained the pressure in the expansible member is caused to vary in accordance with the height of the gasoline in i the tank.

lUpon the lower end oit casting lll is secured a tubularshell 30 closed at its lower end and extending from the top to the bottom of the gasoline tank 10. Within the same is positioned a doet 31 slightlysmaller than the interior bore thereof, which doet may slide freely in a vertical direction. lit is obvious that the shell ,30,not only constitutes a guide for the doat butfprotects the latter from being subjected to the wave inotion set up in the gasoline contained 'in the tank when the automobile is being driven. lf the float. were subjected to this wave niotion, the gauge would give a iluctuatin indication instead of a true indication o? the level of gasoline. A member 32 mounted on the top of .this lloat bears against the end oi alever 33 pivoted on a iulcrum lug 34: cast onthe interior of casting 1t. A second leverl 35 v'pivoted to a similar lug 36 has a ulcruin 37 formed onthe end ot it which. bears upon the 'lever 33 nearits point ont pivot. liever 35 is so positioned that -a projection 38 on block 25 engages said lever near its point otpivot the same as lever 33.

rlhe operation ofthe orenamed'niechanisni is as follows: Gasoline trom the tank 10 enters the shell 30 thru preferably small apertures 39 and d0 in said shell causing float 31 to rise slowly and exert a torce upon lever 33 which in turn multiplies the force until it reachesthe expansible member 17 which as before explained operates gauge 20.

' As the height'oi" gasoline in tank 1() inhigher. 'in gallons as shown or simply indicate' the creases the submersion ci float 31 increases thereby increasing the torce on member 17 and conse uently causing the gauge. to read augel 2O can be calibrated to read part of the total capacity occupied by the gasoline the tank. The restricted passages for the ilow oi gasoline or fuel thru the same cause the movement 'ot the doat 31 and consequently ot the gauge proper to be damped so thatductuationsdue to j ar are not indicated- The form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 didlers from that shown in lEPig.` l in the following respects. Casting 1d is formed on "its interior with -a cu haped member 41 on ,the under side oi w ich is mounted a flexible diaphra d2 held in place thereon by means 'ot a threaded bushing t3.' 'lhis cup is connected with tube 19 and gauge '20 by means ci a neck da formed integral with casting- 14 and is'hence'nlled with li uid the saine as tube 19 and gauge 20. lul-- crum 32 bears directly upon this diaphra andsh making the' area of the same small. enoug sucie'nt pressure can be exerted to prfperly operate the indicating gauge.

he advantages ot my invention test. .When my invention is applied to a motor vehicle .and the` indicating gauge linouiited on de drh, the driver can at all Jible wall exerted by are maninemico times be informed as to the supply ot gasoline on hand. Further the device is quite of order.

ll claim:

1. lln combination with a receptacle ior liquids, a cap attached' at an opening in the top wall of said receptacle, a duid container located, within said cap, said container having' a flexible wall, a tube extending through said cap from said container, a gauge to which said tube leads, a shell extending between said cap `and the bottom of said receptacle, said shell having small apertures at its top and bottom, a float having vertical walls fitting slidably within said shell, a lever pivoted to thevinnerwall of said cap, the free end ot said lever being engaged by the top oi said doat, a second lever pivoted .to the-inner wall ci said cap, the free end ot said second lever i engaging the upper side of said nrst lever near the pivoted end thereof, and aprojection on the flexible wall of said liquid container in engagement with the upper side of said second lever near the pivoted end thereof.

said container having av positive in its action and not apt to get out Y 2. lin combination withV a receptacle tor lill) so that the `latter protects the doat from` wave motion oli the liquid in said receptacle, said doat having a length nearly equal to the height ot said receptacle, and means carried by the upper end0 of said bloat for ,transmitting the upward thrust to said ilexthe doat when par# tially submerged insthe liquid.

' 3. lln. combination with a 'receptacle lor liquids, a -tluid container mountedat the upper portion 'of said receptacle, said container t gauge, a tube connecting said pressure gauge and said duid container, a shell es. tending .vertically of said rece tacle, adoat enclosedby said shell so as teA e capable oi vertical movement therein and which is protected thereb from the wave motion of the liquid in sai receptacle, shell having a .small orilice opening into said receptacle to allow lliquid to dow slowly into and out di 'said shell, and means operated by said dont for transmitting the upward thrust to said dexible wall exerted by thedoat when par- 1 tially submerged in theliquid. V

t. lin combination with areceptacle iter liquid, a duid container mounted at the top of said receptacle, said containerliaving iio having. a dexible wall, a pressure i ll@ l dexible wall at the lower end thereof, o.. ist

single tube extending from said container, a float having a length nearly equal to the gauve to which said tube leads a ide exheight of said receptacle, and lever contending from top to bottom oi sald reoepneetionsinte sed between the top of said 10 tacle, an elon ted float having vertical float and sai lower flexible wall whereby l5 walls fitting s idably within said guide so the upward thrust transmitted to the latter that the latter protects the iloat from wave by said float is multiflied. v motion of the liquid in said receptacle, said FRANKLIN WE LEY SPRINGER. 

